Lake Cormorant Middle School

A positive attitude Start your day with a

can help you do better positive attitude
in school
H ow you feel is a decision you make every day.
So decide that today you are going to have a
T he way you act
in class is a good
predictor of what
positive attitude. To get your day started right:
• Wake up peacefully. If you use an alarm clock
kind of work you are to wake up, make sure it doesn’t have a loud,
likely to do that day. annoying sound. Instead, try a clock radio that
To develop the right plays soft music.
attitude to do your
best work:
• Come to class
prepared and be
on time—unless
you’re really sick.
• Be as cheerful as possible. It’s hard to
concentrate and learn through a terrible
mood. Even if you’re in a bad mood,
sometimes just putting a smile on your face

Y
ou got up late this morning
and missed your ride to school.
By the time you got to class you were
out of sorts and really didn’t care
anyway. And then after class your teacher
actually talked to you about getting a better
attitude! Who cares?!
Believe it or not, your attitude is far more
important than your aptitude. Experts say
that people who have a positive attitude are
happier, healthier and more successful than
those with a negative outlook. In fact, many
successful people say that half of what you
will accomplish in a day will be determined
by the attitude you have when you walk out
your door. So, make sure you start each day
with a positive attitude.
can make you feel better.
• Have an open mind. Believe that something
interesting and even exciting can be learned
in class. Don’t dismiss it as “boring” or
“stupid.”
• Participate. Offer a comment relevant to the
discussion. Ask lots of questions. This is also
a great way to show you are paying attention.
• Show respect for classmates by listening
thoughtfully when they speak. Don’t talk to
your neighbor, crack your knuckles or roll
your eyes and look out the window.
• Make eye contact with your teacher. Don’t
slouch down and try to hide in your chair.
• Get help if you need it. Often it’s easier
to say, “I don’t care” than to admit you
don’t understand. Asking for help is not a
weakness. Teachers respect students who ask
• Allow enough time to get ready in the morning
at a relaxing pace. If you start your day off
behind, you’re setting yourself up for a stressful
day. Picking out your clothes and organizing
school items the night before will help, too.
• Eat a healthy breakfast. When you eat
breakfast, you are likely to think faster and
more clearly, solve classroom problems more
easily and are less fidgety throughout your day.
• Expect the best. Plan to have a wonderful day,
and odds are, you will!

Avoid these pitfalls!
T he largest obstacle to a positive attitude
is negative thinking. Try to avoid:
• Personalizing—thinking that
everything revolves around you.
“Everyone at school is staring at my
zit.” They’re not.
• Either/or thinking— “Either I get an
A on my test or I’m a failure.” Wrong!
• Overgeneralizing—“I’m stupid.” Just
because you missed a few questions on
your math test doesn’t mean you are
stupid.
• Exaggerating—“I have no friends.”
Not true.
• Jumping to conclusions—“The
teacher didn’t call on me in class
because she thinks I’m stupid.”
Wrong again.
Talk to yourself
W atch professional athletes. Most of
them talk silently—some even out
loud—to themselves
during a game.
They say things
like, “I’m going
to hit this one
out of the park.”
That same
positive attitude
can work for you.
Before you sit down
to study, say something
like, “I can
Give yourself a boost do this!”
M any things can happen throughout
the course of your day to get you
down—an argument with a friend,
rejection from a person you like, a bad
grade on a test, or not being chosen for
a school activity. For times like these,
it’s helpful if you have some ways to feel
better about yourself. Here are some
ideas: “It is your attitude, not your
• Write down your good qualities.
Include qualities that others like aptitude, that determines your
about you, too. altitude.” — Zig Ziglar
• Reread cards or letters from good
friends to remind you that plenty of
people like you.
• Do something good for yourself.
It could be going for a run, reading a
book or seeing a movie with a friend.
• Surprise someone with a thoughtful
gesture. You could take cookies to a One of a series of Student Tips®
Stock No. 5023 (English), 6023 (Spanish)
friend. Cheering up another person is © 2020 The Parent Institute
(800) 756-5525 | www.parent-institute.com
always a good way to feel better about
yourself.